Caulfield Guineas Prelude News

Trainer Tony McEvoy has been pleased with the form and class displayed by Manhattan Blues through his short racing career so far, and has revealed the gelding will confirm his position in the 2015 Caulfield Guineas with a competitive performance in Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m). Manhattan Blues has stamped…

Otherwise known as the Guineas Prelude, the Caulfield Guineas Prelude is restricted to three-year-old colts and geldings and run over 1400 metres. The race is run under set weights plus penalties conditions.

The race serves as a lead-up qualifying event to the $1 million Caulfield Guineas which is one of the most prestigious races of the entire Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Apart from offering $175,000 in prize money, the main carrot offered by the Caulfield Guineas Prelude is ballot exemption for the winner into the Caulfield Guineas. The Caulfield Guineas Prelude is run alongside the Thousand Guineas Prelude, the equivalent race for fillies.

History

Beginning in 1985, the Caulfield Guineas Prelude was originally called the Show Day Stakes and was a Listed level race from 1985 to 2000.

Also formerly known as the JD MacDonald Stakes and the MacDonald Stakes, since 2001 the race has maintained its status as a Group 3 race.

When the Caulfield Guineas Prelude was first held in 1985, the race was run over 1200 metres before being upgraded to its current 1400-metre distance in 1991.